Hi and thanks for visiting the best Ravens forum on the planet. You do not have to be a member to browse the various forums, but in order to post and interact with your purple brethren, you will have to **register**. It only takes a couple of minutes. You can also use your Facebook account to log in....just click on the blue 'FConnect' link at the very top of the page.

Re: Does Chris McCalister make the HOF?

Defensive backs get in because of interceptions. McAlister wasn't that kind of player. He was great but he doesn't have the go to number at his position to make the Hall of Fame. Just compare McAlister to someone from around the same time like Rod Woodson and you'll see a huge difference is INT numbers.

Re: Does Chris McCalister make the HOF?

I agree GOTA. He just never had the same juice as corners like Champ Bailey or Asamugha. We appreciated him, but he was never a big focal point in national discussion. Some of that may be simply because he was overshadowed by Ray and Ed, too.

Re: Does Chris McCalister make the HOF?

McAlister was usually a top 5 or even top 3 CB on many when he played but he was never that top player at his position. The 2 guys I do see getting in from this same era are Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson. Both of those guys where just better than McAlister.

Re: Does Chris McCalister make the HOF?

Originally Posted by GOTA

McAlister was usually a top 5 or even top 3 CB on many when he played but he was never that top player at his position. The 2 guys I do see getting in from this same era are Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson. Both of those guys where just better than McAlister.

Agreed.

Also, you have to consider some of the off-field stuff that happened with CMAC. He was a great player, but he wasn't so great that some of those off-field incidents won't impact consideration and status.

WARNING: This post may contain material offensive to those who lack wit, humor, common sense and/or supporting factual or anecdotal evidence. All statements and assertions contained herein may be subject to literary devices not limited to: irony, metaphor, allusion and dripping sarcasm.

Re: Does Chris McCalister make the HOF?

Originally Posted by festivus

In his career, in how many seasons was he the best at his position?

Right. Case closed.

2003 and 2006 he was hands down the best CB in football.

In 2003, he totally took over the 2nd half of the season. He would cover the opposing team's #1 WR and totally remove them from the game. He had a stretch I believe where he had seven straight games of holding opposing teams' #1 WR below 50 receiving yards and TD-less. Later that stretch, The Ravens blew out SF 44-3 I believe. TO had an 1100 yard season that year. Against CMAC, he had 3 catches for 23 yards. The very next week, Chad Johnson, in the midst of a career season that ultimately saw him catch for 1350 yards, had 2 catches for 15 yards. That was his pattern all year. Of course, Ray won DPOY but I think the Ravens would have been worse off that year without CMAC than Lewis.

Re: Does Chris McCalister make the HOF?

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

HE needed 2 to 3 more seasons like he had in 06. I always thought he was on track (despite the off the filed crap) but he obviously fell off.

This. McAlister had a pretty certain HOF arc through 2006. However, starting with his age 30 season (2007), he totally disappeared as productive CB. He was pretty bad in 2007 and contributed zilcho in 2008. Sadly, the last memories of McAlister in a Raven uniform were of him getting torched by Manning and Co in Week 5 of the 08 season.

His lack of productivity from age 30 on kills his HOF career, but he certainly was a HOF caliber player in terms of his value in his prime.

If you look at all the recent CBs in the HOF presently...guys like Deion, Woodson, Mel Blount, Willie Brown, Mike Haynes....they were all highly productive players into their mid-30s. That's where C-Mac falls short.

Also, if Aeneas Williams (a no-brainer Hall of Famer) is now entering his 4th ballot without getting in, it means Cmac really won't ever have a shot. CB is a drastically under-represented position in Canton.